Esports tournaments worth watching this season

Esports can look impenetrable from the outside: unfamiliar games, fast camera work and commentators speaking in shorthand. But the big events are built for spectators, and the drama is the same as any final: favourites under pressure, underdogs on a run, one mistake deciding a season.

Rather than a fixture list that will be out of date by next week, here is how the major formats work and what each offers a new viewer. Check each game's official channels for this season's dates.

The world championships

The flagship events in titles such as League of Legends and Valorant gather the best teams from regional leagues for a few weeks of group stages and knockouts. Production values are high, the storylines have been building all year, and the final is usually staged in a full arena. If you only watch one event, make it one of these.

The majors in Counter-Strike

Counter-Strike is the easiest major esport to follow cold: two teams, one attacks, one defends, and a round is won or lost in under two minutes. The majors are its most prestigious events, and the best-of-three series give momentum swings you can read without knowing every map.

“

Pick one event, pick a team in the first hour, and the rest takes care of itself.

Fighting-game open brackets

Fighting-game tournaments such as Evo are open: anyone can enter, and famous names can fall to unknowns in early pools. Matches are one-on-one and short, so it is the quickest format to understand, and the crowd is part of the show.

How to choose your first one

Watch with a co-stream or a beginner-friendly broadcast if one is offered, and do not worry about understanding every ability or item. Follow the score, follow one team and let the commentators carry the rest.